NFL’s Week Two brings another NFC West opponent to the Dome, this time a familiar foe in the San Francisco 49ers, who are dealing with key injuries to quarterback Brock Purdy (toe, left shoulder) and tight end George Kittle (hamstring).
Purdy is listed as doubtful to play versus the Saints, while Kittle was placed on IR and will be out at least four weeks.
Despite the two Pro Bowlers being banged up during the contest, the Niners were able to beat the Seahawks in Seattle 17-13, in their season opener.
Purdy played the entire game while Kittle was ruled out in the second quarter after catching San Francisco’s first touchdown of the season from Purdy in the opening quarter.
Trailing 13-10 late in the fourth, Purdy engineered the 49ers’ game-winning drive, connecting with backup tight end Jake Tonges for a four-yard touchdown pass with 1:34 to play, securing San Fran’s four-point victory.
Tongues figures to be active against the Saints on Sunday in the Superdome as Kittle’s replacement.
Second-year WR Ricky Pearsall eclipsed 100 yards receiving vs. the Seahawks and is someone the Saints secondary will need to keep an eye on.
All-Pro RB Christian McCaffrey remains the 49ers’ top offensive weapon out of the backfield. CMC totaled 142 yards from scrimmage on a healthy 31 touches last week in Seattle.
With Purdy facing a 2-5 week recovery timeline with a turf toe injury, according to NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, Mac Jones is in line to start versus the Saints.
After being selected 15th overall by the Patriots in 2021, Jones led New England to the playoffs and earned Pro Bowl honors as a rookie. However, he was let go by the franchise two years later, following the 2023 season, as a result of two subpar campaigns.
The QB who won Nick Saban’s final national title at Alabama in 2020 has yet to match those levels of success in the NFL, now on his third team in the 49ers, with a one-year stop with his native Jacksonville Jaguars (2024) in between.
Perennial Pro Bowl selections LB Fred Warner and DE Nick Bosa spearhead a defense coordinated by the highly regarded Robert Saleh, who returned to San Francisco in 2025 for his second stint as the Niners’ DC (first stint 2017-2020).
As for the Black and Gold, Cameron Jordan and company will hope to replicate their five-sack performance against Kyler Murray and the Cardinals in Week One.
Spencer Rattler and the offense look to continue improving week by week under first-year head coach Kellen Moore.
With the Saints currently a 3.5-point home underdog and the over/under set at 40.5 according to ESPN Bet Sportsbook, the bookies are projecting a tightly contested, low-scoring affair between the two former NFC West rivals (1970-2001).
With Purdy (likely) and Kittle both sidelined, this feels like a timely opportunity for the Saints to pick up their first win of the campaign, especially with two long road trips to Seattle and Buffalo on the docket in the next two weeks.
Kickoff in New Orleans is set for noon on Sunday. The contest will be televised on Fox.